A Writers Story
by WaterbendingTurtleLover
Summary: This is just a story that I came up with about the TMNT.I hope everybody likes it.
1. The beginning

**Hey there,I just wanted to say that I don't own TMNT but,If I did,Oh Boy,there would be some interest...**

**::Turns on Mikey::**

**"Would you quit that!!!!!!!!!"**

**:: Mikey can be seen in the background giggling ::**

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**Once upon a time, there was a girl, about eight years old. She believed in a story of four ninja brothers, of a non-human **

**nature, who lived in the sewers of New York city with their Sensei and father figure. These four protected the city under**

**the cover of night and shadow. Over the years, as the girl grew, so did her passion to become like them and, to someday, **

**come face to face with those she admired most. Though, she never expected that it would all add up to this...**

**I moved to New York with my family approximately three years ago; my mother,step father,brother,sister and niece. The**

**city was everything I expected it to be; loud, fast, crowded, and relentless. My family took the move well and it wasn't long**

**before we felt like residential New Yorkers. I had always been drawn here, ever since I was a small child, though my **

**brother was the lucky one in having the opportunity to visit the city during a school trip,back when we still lived in Ohio. **

**New York always seemed to feel like home whenever I thought about it, and now here I was. I got my job within the first**

**month, working at a small, Mom & Pop shop nearby. The place only gets enough business to stay open but, a job is a job**

**and the pay is decent enough to live off of. A few more months flew by before I could blink and things were going pretty**

**smoothly, than one day HE stepped into the shop. I never saw his face, it was covered by a brown hooded cloak. My boss,**

**the owner of the shop, seemed to know him pretty well though.**

**"Ah,Sensei Hamato, the herbs you have requested have arrived right on time."**

**The store owner spoke to the cloaked person, respectfully bowing his head, as they do in the old Japanese style. The person**

**returned the gesture as I watched them from the back room door. I hurried back into the storage room as I saw the store **

**owner head in my direction. As he walked into the room he adressed me.**

**"Please retrieve the shipment that arrived this morning."**

**Nodding, I walked to the very back and retrieved the few small boxes that had arrived earlier. As he took the boxes from**

**me,I noticed the name written on the shipping tag.**

**"_Splinter Hamato _"**

**I mouthed silently, as the box moved from my hand to the owners and out the door.I stepped to the edge of the storage**

**room door and once again watched the two of them. The store owner offered up the boxes, again bowing his head to the **

**stranger, the stranger bowing in response and taking them, handing the store owner what looked like a few bills, than he **

**was out the door and it was back to business as usual. At the end of the day I went to the store owner, reguarding the **

**stranger that had come into the shop.**

**"He is one of our most valued customers."**

**Was the only response I got. Figuring it was all I was _going_ to get, I headed home for the night. Along the way,another **

**question crossed my mind;**

**_" Has the store owner ever seen his face?"_**

**I wondered, coming up on the apartment building my family and I shared. I was the only one, besides my brother, who**

**actually seemed to spend any time there. My mother had found herself a decent job at some technology company on the**

**other side of town, my sister was usually off, with my niece in toe of course, galavanting with some guy that she had met a **

**few days after we arrived, and my step dad had found himself an architectural position not too far away. So, most nights it**

**was just him and I to ponder on the days events. Opening the door, I saw him sitting there in front of the television playing**

**one of his many video games.**

**" Hey Jake, what's up?"**

**I acknowledged, getting the usual half wave in response. So, I reclosed the door and went about my ususal routine which,**

**was nothing more than walking into my room and tossing my bag on the bed before closing the bedroom door and turning**

**on my stereo. With Jake on the game there was no chance of "pondering the days events" since he was glued to the thing**

**whenever he played. So, I was left to "ponder" all on my own and ponder I did, mostly about the stranger from the shop. **

**For some reason,there was an air of familiarity about him that I just couldn't place, or shake for that matter. I thought **

**about the name on the shipping tag and ran it over in my head, as well as say it out loud several times.**

**"Splinter Hamato"**

**Pacing around my room, I eventually flopped down on my bed, kicking my bag to the floor. I stared at random things in my**

**room and then my eyes settled on something sitting on top of my stereo. It was a small snow globe with a backdrop of the**

**New York sky line. I stared at it for a few seconds more before hopping off the bed,walking over and picking it up. I turned**

**it over in my hands once or twice, admiring the small statue of liberty and the twin towers, that didn't exist presently. **

**Giving it a quick shake,I watched the glitter swirl about the tiny city scape and sighed, than placed it back on top of my **

**stereo. Deciding to switch from the radio to my CD, I let the music put me into a rem state as I laid down with my hands **

**behind my head. A few songs came and went, and I sang along blissfully to some of the words.It wasn't until I heard I **

**certain verse of the song "Turtle Power" that I sat straight up. Getting up from the bed once again, I hurried over to the **

**stereo and hit the "back" button searching for the verse. Letting the verse play over, I got the answer I had been waiting for.**

**_" They were once normal but, now they're mutants. Splinter's the teacher, so they are the students..."_**

**"That's it!!!"**

**I practically shouted,realizing how obvious everything had been. But, I couldn't go by just a name alone,I needed solid **

**proof that the stranger from the shop was infact the same " Splinter" that I had come to learn about during my childhood.**

**I needed to see him and get to know him, and I figured _that_ was going to be the hard part.Deciding to hatch out my **

**sketchbook plan tomorrow, I changed my clothes and finally retired to bed for the night. With my nagging question half **

**answered,I was able to sleep fairly well.**


	2. Caught

**Alrighty now,lets see if I can do this disclaimer without interuption this time. :: glares at Mikey::**

**I don't own TMNT,if I did I prolly wouldn't have to do this dumb disclaimer but, I don't so, I do.**

**At any rate enjoy the story.**

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**

**The next morning was spent sorting through the inventory in the store room, and it was always a pain to try and keep each **

**and every herb seperate from another, since I still hadn't figured out all of the differences between them yet. It was **

**especially difficult to do,seeing as how I was the only one there and would _be_ the only one there for two whole weeks. The **

**owner had left a note in the back, along with a list of detailed instructions, saying that he would be on vacation for the next **

**two weeks and that he trusted me enough to take care of everything while he was gone. As much as I appreciated the **

**gesture of faith, I still knew that the task was going to be a trying one. I was in the middle of re-packing some juniper **

**flowers when I heard the door chimes ring. Setting down the inventory list,I made my way to the front. As I stepped up to **

**the counter, I saw him. It was the hooded stranger again and this time he spoke to me. His voice was raspy but, kind.**

**" I have been informed that you will be managing the store for a while Miss Brandie."**

**" Yes,I am."**

**I replied,trying not to sound impertinent. **

**" You must be Mr. Hamato."**

**I said in a half sure tone. He nodded and went on.**

**" Please, refer to me as "Sensei Hamato". Miss Brandie, there are a few herbs that I was told would be arriving today.Can**

** you see if they are here?"**

**Nodding, I walked back to the storage room just enough to keep my eyes on the front. As I searched through the shipment **

**that had come in earlier that morning, I would glance, every once in a while, at the front just to be on the safe side. I'm**

** glad that I did too because, a few seconds before I found the box with his name on it, I saw him pick up a small votive **

**candle from one of the front shelves and stash it in his cloak. Picking up the box, I returned to the front counter. **

**"Here it is Sensei Hamato. Is that all you needed?"**

**I questioned,hoping that he would come clean with the candle. He nodded and set only enough on the counter to pay for **

**the herbs. Valued customer or not, I wasn't going to let him or anyone else get away with stealing if I could help it. As he **

**turned to leave, I commented to him.**

**" I don't mean to sound rude but, there isn't enough here Sensei Hamato."**

**He stopped a few feet away from the door and turned back in my direction.**

**"Please explain why you believe so Miss Brandie."**

**He said, as if I hadn't offended him in any way. So, I did just that.**

**" There is only enough here for the herbs."**

**I started, making sure to re-count the money so that I wasn't mistaken.**

**"But, you gave me nothing for the candle you carry."**

**I said very deliberately. He stood there, silently, for a few seconds and than brought the candle from under his cloak. I **

**caught a quick glimpse of his face but, it wasn't anything significant and he tossed the candle in my direction. Catching it,I **

**set it down on the counter in front of me and continued to watch him.**

**" You have a sharp eye."**

**He said as he walked out the door and I can swear that I saw him smile. Sighing, I picked up the candle, looking at it for a **

**minute, before a smirk crossed my lips. Shaking my head, I tossed the candle in the air, caught it, looked back towards the **

**door, and returned it to the shelf it had come from. Returning to the storage room I picked up the inventory list again and **

**continued checking. As I went about the check list,I noticed that we were running low on a few herbs and the white sage **

**that I purchased every few weeks was one of them. So, I wrote them all down on the checklist and set the list on the shelf **

**where it belonged, than went to the front to wait on any customers that might show up. A few people came later on in the **

**night; an older woman, an elderly gentleman and his wife, and a small group of gothic type people,mostly in their teens. **

**The older gentleman and his wife didn't really buy anything, they just browsed for a few minutes and than walked out the **

**door, complaining to one another how they didn't like the way the place smelled. By the time they had left,with their noses **

**literally in the air,it was time to close up. So, I re-checked everything in the front and took the money out of the register. **

**On a small piece of paper, I documented how much money was collected today and bundled it up. Than I took it to the safe **

**in the back room,where I placed it with the rest of the earnings from the week. Making sure that the store room was **

**secure,I went up to the front and gathered my things from the small side closet,than I took out the store keys and locked up **

**for the night. **

* * *

**"Yeah, I know,things aren't all that eventful in it yet but, they'll get there. Gotta set the tone ya know and..."**

**::Turns abruptly out of frustration.::**

**"AND IF I GET HIT WITH ANOTHER PAPER BALL I SWEAR THERE WILL BE ONE LESS TURTLE FOR ME TO WRITE ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!"**


	3. Real

**Well,here is the third chapter to this installment and I hope you like it. **

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**I was mentally exhausted when I got home but,I sat in the living room with Jake for a while and played "Yugioh: Duelest**

** of the roses",which he thoroughly whipped me at. About an hour later,my mom came in carrying a handful of grocery **

**bags.**

**" Somebody wanna give me a hand here?"**

**She asked desperately,practically dragging the bags inside. I was the one to hop up off the floor, I mean come on, I'd use **

**any excuse not to get kicked at the game again. So, I followed her out to the, forest green, Ford Explorer and helped her **

**retrieve what was left of the groceries. We brought them inside and I followed her to the kitchen to help put them away **

**and she struck a conversation.**

**" So, how is work going?"**

**She aksed,placing a bag of rice into the cabinet. **

**" The store owner left me in charge without warning,and he's gonna be gone for the next two weeks."**

**I answered,handing her a box of ice cream bars.**

**"That's a lot of responsibility."**

**She stated,taking one of the empty bags and stuffing it in the nearby closet. I didn't say anything else,just moved around **

**putting things away and than went to my room. I turned on my stereo, at a low level, to add some white noise to the **

**room,than I flopped down on my bed and fell straight to sleep. The next morning I woke to the sound of my niece crying. **

**Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled into her nursery to check on her. My sister was nowhere to be seen at the moment, **

**which seemed pretty odd since, she was hardly ever seperated from her. Picking my niece up she immediately stopped **

**crying. She laid her head on my shoulder and started to doze off, while gripping my shirt sleeve. A few minutes later,my **

**sister stepped back into the room, carrying a warm bottle, and glared at me.**

**"I was just about to feed her."**

**She said,taking the baby gently from my arms. My niece started up again as she was handed over but, my sister quickly **

**popped the bottle into her mouth.**

**" Sorry Sy,"**

**I started,rubbing the sleep from my eyes.**

**" She kinda woke me up."**

**Sylvia just nodded and moved to the living room to continue feeding the baby. I happened to glance at a clock nearby and **

**freaked. I was running a little behind schedule. So, I made a mad dash for my room and threw on the first thing I could find, **

**slid into my shoes, went into the bathroom to clean up as fast as possible and grabbed my keys on the way out the door. **

**Along the way,I rechecked my pockets to make sure that I had the store key,and pulled them out just as I got to the door. **

**Unlocking it, I rushed inside and started getting everything ready to open. As I stepped behind the counter I noticed **

**something that wasn't right. The store room door was cracked open. Slowly,I crept towards the door to peak inside. As I **

**peared through the darkness in the room,I saw some movement.**

**_' Shit!! second day in charge and I get robbed'_**

**Not really knowing what to do,I continued to peer through the door,listening for any sound that might give me more of a **

**hint as to what they might be after but, all I really seemed to hear was a faint giggling. Opening the door a little more, I **

**realized who was sitting in the store room.**

**"Jake! you scared the hell out of me.How did you get in here?"**

**I asked,only slightly relieved that it was only my brother. He scratched his head for a second than answered.**

**"I jimmied the lock on the back door."**

**He said, looking at me guiltily. Rolling my eyes,I moved past him to look at what he had done. Sighing,I turned back to him.**

**"You're lucky nothing got damaged."**

**I started,pushing him out of the store room to the front.**

**"I could get fired if the store manager finds out what you did."**

**I said, reiterating the severity of his actions. He nodded in agreement and headed for the door, waving to me as he walked **

**out.**

**"See ya at home."**

**He said, before the door closed behind him completely. Than I watched him walk down the block, before returning to my **

**original agenda. I had a few customers throughout the day but, I spent most of my time re-checking the front stock,just to **

**be sure that noone had tried to pull a fast one. Later on in the night, things slowed down to snails pace. I almost started to **

**fall asleep behind the counter, when I heard something coming from the back room. With as much suspicion as earlier, I **

**crept towards the back room.**

**"Jake?"**

**I asked in a low voice but, my gut told me that it wasn't my brother that I was going to find this time. The movements were **

**swift and precise and surprisingly silent. I watched as the movements got closer to the door where I stood and fear crept up **

**my spine. It hit me full force when a figure stepped right in front of where I stood and seemed to look straight at me. At **

**that moment the door opened wider to reveal a group of people dressed in black body suits, with masks on. The figure who **

**had stepped in front of the door now stood in front of me as I backed away from the doorway. He seemed to glance over **

**my body quickly before settling his gaze onto my belt,where the store keys hung. Glancing down towards them quickly,I **

**backed up faster before turning to run out of the front door. Getting outside,I looked back to see him not too far away. I **

**ran straight into the dark alley nearby,hoping that the darkness would sheild me from his sight. I was wrong, and found **

**myself under attack, as his hands felt all over my body for the keys that I had shoved into my pocket. I pushed him away **

**and screamed at him.**

**"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"**

**I screamed, as I did my best to block his assault on me. I can't remember much of what happened after that, because, **

**something hit the back of my head and everything around me went black. The next thing I remember though was hearing **

**voices talking around me.**

**"Is she dead?"**

**" No, she ain't dead Mikey!!"**

**"Will you two get away from her already?"**

* * *

**(Yes, Mikey stopped throwing the paper balls at me,and that is why he is featured in this chapter)**

**hope you liked it and please review. **


	4. Wishes Come True

**I don't own Tmnt blah blah blah...**

**I don't know how many more times I can go through that same shpeal before I get bored with it.**

**" well,if ya wanna keep writin bout us,you gotta keep doin it."**

** "Thanks for stating the obvious Raph."**

**

* * *

**

**Starting to wake, I heard one of the voices address the others.**

**"Hey, she's starting to come to."**

**He said and I felt a presence come closer to me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and felt my head pounding from where I had **

**been hit. Groaning, I held my throbbing head and started to sit up. Looking around a little, my eyes refocused themselves.**

**"Oww"**

**I said, as the pain throbbed steadily.**

**"You were hit pretty hard"**

**Said the voice beside me, than he moved one of my hands and placed a cold rag on my forehead. I moved my hand back to**

** hold it but, didn't keep it there for long. Looking over,I saw the source of the voice that had spoken to me and nearly **

**froze. All I could do was stare as he stood up. It was like waking up to another dream. Looking around the rest of the **

**room,I saw the other three standing around me.**

**" Yeah, I must have been."**

**I agreed with his previous statement. This was impossible, I mean they were only characters from a story, weren't they? **

**Swinging my legs over the edge of the couch, I sat there thinking about what had happened. I remembered the people in **

**black and the one who had chased me down. Feeling my pockets, there was no sign of the keys. One of them spoke up as I **

**checked my pockets.**

**"Lookin for these?"**

**He asked, holding out the set of store keys. Taking them, I looked up into his eyes. **

**"Thanks,"**

**I started and he turned to walk away. That's when I took a chance.**

**"It's Raphael, right?"**

**The three who stood around me were taken aback and he stopped dead, turning to face me.**

**"Yeah, how'd _you_ know?"**

**He asked and I felt all eyes on me, questioningly, awaiting my reply.**

**"It was really more of a guess."**

**I answered honestly. It was true that my knowledge of the story was extensive, but, as far as putting the right name with **

**the right person,that proved to be a bit more difficult. Although,I had my suspicions on how to figure out who was who. I **

**would just gauge them by their personalities and make an educated guess. He stood there with his arms crossed staring at**

** me and than one of the others spoke up.**

**"So, guess my name than!!!"**

**He said anxiously, and I figured who he must be by his obvious enthusiasm. I glanced at the others for a second before **

**addressing him.**

**" Umm, I'm only guessing but, I think you're Michaelangelo."**

**He got a big smile on his face and came closer to me,holding out his hand.**

**" It's Mikey for short."**

**He shook my hand briefly and I couldn't help but, smile.**

**"My name's Brandie."**

**I said in response. The other two standing around me just watched and I still saw Raph in the back watching. As I stood **

**from the couch,one of the others came over to me, he didn't look too impressed by what I had just done. Instead, he looked **

**more suspicious of me than anything.**

**"How do you know about us?"**

**He asked,crossing his arms over his chest. Glancing over at Mikey, I noticed that his smile had faded to a concerned look.**

**"You might not believe me."**

**"Let us be the judges of that."**

**Said the one beside him. His voice was less accusing than the others and more analytical. Taking a deep breath,I started to **

**explain.**

**"Well, I first learned about you guys when I was eight years old."**

**I said, and Raph and Mikey came up beside the others to hear what I had to say.**

**" I was told stories about you guys. Where you lived,how old you were, what weapons you carried, things like that."**

**I continued. **

**" At first,I wasn't sure if I should believe them but, the more I heard them, the more consistencies I noticed about them."**

**" Who told you the stories?"**

**Asked the one whose look of suspicion had long since faded. **

**" There was an old man that I used to live beside, he was the one who told me the stories."**

**A sad expression came over my face at the thought of the old man.**

**"He died about a year before I moved."**

**Thinking of him always seemed to make me sad these days.So, I tried not to dwell on it. Catching a quick glimpse of my **

**watch,I paniced.**

**"Yikes! mom's _gotta_ be freakin out right now."**

**And then another thought occured to me.**

**" I still have to lcose up the shop, oh man,it's probably a mess..."**

**The one who had given me the cool cloth set a hand on my shoulder.**

**" Don't worry,we took care of it. "**

**He reassured,looking me dead in the eyes. Raph spoke up to add to his statement.**

**" Yeah,Don over here fixed it so ya can't jimmy the lock anymore..."**

**Then the one who I now figured was Leonardo finished his sentence.**

**"Yeah, and the rest of us made sure everything was in order."**

**I smiled graciously at them and hugged them all, which surprised Raph the most. **

**"Thank you."**

**I said,making sure to acknowledge them all. Then I headed through the tunnels and back up to the street, making my way **

**home. Once I was there, I was bombarded with questions: "Where have you been?" "Why did you take so long coming **

**home?" Stuff like that. I answered each one as honestly as I could before going into my room and flopping down on the **

**bed. I guess I was more tired than I thought because not too long after,I fell straight to sleep.**


	5. Starting Something

**Well,here is the fifth chapter,this one may take a little longer to get there but it will definately get there and hopefully you will love it.**

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**The next morning,I was glad that I didn't have to open the shop,even though I was going to go by there anyway,just to **

**make sure that there wasn't another incident. As I passed by the front door, I peered inside, saw that the place looked **

**better than when I had left it and silently thanked my new friends again for what they had done. Taking the keys out of my **

**pocket,I unlocked the door and went inside to check the back room. As I had hoped,everything was in order and neatly **

**stored in it's respective place. From the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. It didn't seem threatening though,so I **

**stayed where I was.**

**"So, come back to see how we did?"**

**Said a voice from the corner. I recognized the tone right away.**

**" How'd you get in Raph?"**

**It wasn't until the question was out of my mouth that I realized the answer.**

**"Don fixed the locks, remember?"**

**Nodding in agreement, I added to his reminder.**

**" Yeah,so,he's got spare keys."**

**I said obviously. Although,I was curious to know why Raph had returned alone.**

**"So,"**

**I started,leaning against the side of the door.**

**"What brought you back here?"**

**I asked inquisitively.**

**" You "**

**He replied and I was beginning to see his outline in the shadows.**

**" Me? "**

**I questioned in return. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.**

**" I was told to watch ya."**

**I straightened up once more.**

**"Are you guys still that suspicious of me?"**

**I asked,crossing my arms. He shook his head and stepped out of the corner.**

**"Nah, they want me to make sure nutin happens to ya."**

**He answered.**

**"Oh"**

**I returned sheepishly,averting my eyes and letting my arms fall. From the corner of my eye though, I could swear that I **

**saw Raph eying me, and the way he seemed to do it caused me to blush slightly. Bringing my gaze back to him,I could see**

** that he was still looking at me and it caused the blush on my face to intensify. I guess he noticed because, a quick smirk **

**came over his face and than was gone again. Uncrossing his arms, he started making his way across the store room.**

**"So, we gonna stand here all day?"**

**He asked, coming to a stop right in front of me and looking dead into my eyes. This time, however, along with his smirk,I **

**noticed a glint in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. Needless to say, the blush that had started to fade, returned full force. **

**"No"**

**I said,shaking my head and taking a few steps out of the store room. He followed my actions and than took lead in front of **

**me. Thankfully,the sun hadn't risen yet so, he could walk around the front without worrying too much about being seen.**

**"So, how are you gonna watch me during the day?"**

**I inquired, as he leaned against the front counter, again with his arms crossed.**

**"I got ways."**

**He said,his smirk growing slightly wider. At the sight of him,a small smile crossed my lips and I shook my head slightly, as I **

**walked around the front,inspecting the shelves. Like I said,the place looked nearly immaculate compared to the way it **

**usually was and I fiddled with a few small objects on one of the middle shelves. Walking towards the front door,I turned to **

**look at Raph again.**

**"Coming?"**

**I asked, as I started to open the door. He shook his head and pulled something from his side. Motioning to me,he tossed it in **

**my direction. Lucky for me I have quick reflexes or it might have hit the floor. After catching it,I noticed that it was a cell **

**phone shaped like a turtle shell. When I looked up from it to thank Raph,he was gone. Sighing,I walked out of the shop and **

**relocked the door. As I started heading down the sidewalk,my new "Shell Cell" started ringing. Answering it,Raphs voice **

**came over the other end.**

**"Look up."**

**He told me and I did as I was instructed. All I could see were shadows for a minute but, than his voice came over the other**

** end again,guiding me to his exact location.**

**" More to your left."**

**He said and my eyes shifted to his direction. There he was,staring straight down at me from the rooftop of the store **

**building.**

**"Gotcha Raph."**

**I said, reassuring that I could see him. I smiled as I stared up at him and held the phone to my ear waiting for him to **

**acknowledge.**

**"Good"**

**He said and the tone of his voice told me that he was smiling too. After a minute of silence,I closed the phone but, looked **

**up at him a minute longer before continuing on down the sidewalk.**


	6. Set Off

**He's at it again,so,I'm gonna go chase down a certain orange-clad turtle while you enjoy the latest chapter of this story.**

**Have fun,I know I will :: grins evilly::**

**

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**

**Every once in a while I would glance up at the rooftops to see if he was still near me,only to find that he was. The sun was **

**getting brighter and starting to rise higher in the sky and the red-orange glow of it made me stop and stare at the horizon **

**for a minute. As the sun rose higher,I saw less and less of Raph,until eventually daylight had hit and I didn't see him at all.I **

**enjoyed the warm sunlight beaming down on me and went through the rest of my day finding odd and end things to do. **

**Once or twice,Raph called my shell cell to check in on me. About mid day I decided to go home and see what the rest of my **

**family was up to. Upon entering the apartment,I was greeted by the sight of my brother,once again playing video games. **

**Setting my backpack to the side of the door, I sat and watched him for a while before he decided to give it a rest. After he **

**had officially walked away from the game,I had my go round with a few quickplays of "Guitar Hero 2" and a seemingly **

**endless series of battles, on arcade mode, in "Soul Calibur 3". By the time I had finished, the sun had once again started to**

** set in the sky. So, I stepped out onto the fire escape stairs, leading from my bedroom window, and watched it set **

**completely. As soon as darkness covered the sky,I heard the faint ringing of my shell cell from inside my backpack. **

**Rushing back into the livingroom,I snatched up my backpack and dashed back to my room, leaving my brother standing **

**by the kitchen with a confused look on his face. Once in my room,I closed my door and tore open my backpack,dumping **

**it's contents on my bed. The shell cell hit my comforter with a soft thud and I tossed my bag on the floor before picking it **

**up. It rang once in my hand and I flipped open the top to answer it.**

**" Hello?"**

**I said expectantly. As I had anticipated,Raphs voice came over the other end.**

**" What took ya so long?"**

**He asked,sounding slightly annoyed. Sighing,I explained.**

**" I left the phone in the other room." **

**I admitted and once again stepped out onto the fire escape.**

**" A'ight,A'ight"**

**He replied before going silent for another minute. Than he spoke again.**

**" Nice night ain't it?"**

**He asked as I stared up into the blue-black sky. A smile crossed my lips at his question.**

**"Yeah,it is."**

**I said, as my eyes settled on the crescent moon adorning the nightscape. There was another minute of silence before he**

** spoke again.**

**"Well, I jus wanted ta make sure ya got home safe."**

**He stated.**

**"I'm fine Raph,thanks."**

**I replied and my smile widened.**

**" Well, I'll see ya tomorra than."**

**He said and I initiated the goodbye.**

**"Yep, goodnight Raph."**

**I said sweetly.**

**" Night"**

**He returned, seemingly just as sweet,than I closed the phone and went back inside,closing the window slightly. I took **

**everything that I had dumped onto my bed and stuffed it back into my backpack before tossing the thing back on the floor.**

** The shell cell I left out and set it on the night stand next to the head of my bed. Setting my alarm clock, I climbed into bed.**

** As I lay there,I clasped my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling,thinking. It wasn't long before I dozed off **

**completely. The next morning, it wasn't my alarm clock that woke me up. Instead, it was the sudden weight on my chest **

**that brought me out of sleep. Opening one eye, I stared at the source of the weight, my neice. She was giving me that grin **

**that only babies can get away with, as I opened both eyes to look at her and smiled myself. I watched as my sister peaked **

**around the door and than came in. Usually, when I found Adrianne laying on top of me in the morning,it meant only one **

**thing.**

**"Hey, Sis,could you watch her today? Me and Andy are going somewhere and I really don't want to have to take her."**

**She asked. Looking from Sy back to Adrianne, I once again met with that baby grin and couldn't help but, smile at her. **

**"Yeah,sure I'll watch her."**

**I said after a minute or so,than my sister left the room and I scooted Adrianne to the side so that I could get up. Turning to **

**my nightstand,I went to reach for my alarm clock and saw that my shell cell was missing. Picking up my niece,I walked out **

**of the room and went to where Sy was sitting.**

**"Sy, have you seen my cell phone?"**

**I asked,kind of annoyed.**

**"I didn't even know you had one."**

**She answered honestly. I took Adrianne to her nursery and set her in her playpen before going to my brother. He was **

**sitting at his gadgets table when I found him.**

**" Have you seen my cell phone?"**

**I asked,slightly more annoyed than I was before.**

**"You mean that weirdo thing that looks like a turtle shell?"**

**That was it,I knew he had been the one to take it.**

**"Yes, that, now hand it over."**

**I demanded and he turned around,shell cell in hand. He handed it to me from his chair and as soon as it was in hand, I **

**clutched it tight.**

**"Where did you get that thing?"**

**He asked. I didn't want to tell him but, I figured he needed some type of answer.**

**"A friend gave it to me."**

**I said,more calmly, now that I had my shell cell back. He looked at me for a second.**

**" Some friend,all mine ever wanna do...nevermind."**

**I didn't ask him to finish but, an idea occured to me and I pitched it to him.**

**"Hey,Jake, you wanna come to the shop with me today? I could use the help."**

**He thought for a minute than answered.**

**"Yeah, sure."**

**He answered,nodding his head. I nodded in return and than went back to the nursery to get Adrianne ready. While I was in **

**there,I thought I would let Raph know that I wasn't going to be alone this morning. So,opening the shell cell,I hit the speed**

**dial attatched to his number.**

**"Raph here."**

**He answered and I acknowledged him.**

**"Hey Raph, it's Brandie."**

**I said, while playing with my neices hand.**

**" Hey, what's up?"**

**He asked non-chalantly.**

**" I wanted to let you know that,my brother and my niece are coming with me to the shop today."**

**I told him,wondering how he would react.**

**"Thanks fer the heads up."**

**"No problem."**

**I said before the line went silent. Than I finished getting Adrianne ready to go to the shop with me and Jake.**


	7. Falling

**This one may seem a bit more like filler but,it's relavent to the story.**

**R: "Can we get to the good stuff already?"**

**Me: " give it time Raph,sheesh."**

**Anyway,I know you guys will enjoy it**

**

* * *

**

**As soon as Adrianne was dressed and ready,the three of us headed out. Along the way,Adrianne kept playing with the end**

**of my ponytail. When we arrived at the shop,I handed my niece over to Jake so that I could unlock the front door. I heard**

**the chimes ring as I opened it and we headed inside. I flicked on the lights and Jake set Adrianne down in front of the **

**counter to keep an eye on her. **

**"Don't let her grab anything off the shelves."**

**I told him, as I made my way to the store room. Apparently,Jake hadn't kept as great an eye on her as I thought **

**because,suddenly, she was crawling up next to me. Noticing her general direction,I bent down and scooped her up.**

**"Oh no, you aren't going in there Biddy."**

**I said, as I adjusted her in my arms. As I stood up completely, I noticed that Adrianne was eying the corner of the store **

**room and I averted my gaze accordingly. I saw a familiar outline and smiled.**

**"Hey there."**

**I acknowledged. **

**"Hey."**

**He replied,moving closer to us. As his outline came closer,I saw Adrianne reach out to him. Watching her,I smiled wider **

**and I saw her tiny hand close around, what I could only guess, was Raphs finger. Small children always seem to bring out **

**different sides of people,and I guess even a seemingly hardened fighter like Raph could appreciate the simplicity of a child **

**like my niece. She giggled as he played with her hand for a minute and than he spoke again.**

**"She's cute."**

**He said and I could almost see the smirk on his face.**

**"Don't s'pose the other one's this young?"**

**Shaking my head, I re-enforced his assumption.**

**"No such luck Raph."**

**At that,my brother came towards me inquisitively.**

**"So, what did you need help with?"**

**Raph moved back into the shadows against the door, as I turned towards Jake.**

**"Oh,umm, I needed your help with keeping an eye on everything while I run the register."**

**I told him. He nodded and headed back towards the counter. Adrianne started making her growling noise and suddenly it**

**turned into something else.**

**"errrrRaph!!"**

**My head snapped to look at her and she did it again.**

**"rrrrRaph!!"**

**Raph peaked from the shadows and looked at me. I shook my head and stepped closer to him. Adrianne started to giggle **

**again and reached for Raph once more.**

**"I think she likes you."**

**I said and he smirked,taking ahold of her little hand again,shaking it around a little. Looking at Adrianne again,I figured **

**that I'd better get back to the reason I was there.**

**"Ok Biddy, time to let go of Raphie so that auntie Brandie can get to work."**

**I said, glancing at Raph before stepping away from the door. He glanced at me before ducking back into the shadows. I set**

**Adrianne down in front of the counter again and gave her a bottle of juice to drink.It kept her occupied long enough for **

**me to get some actual work done and Jake kept pulling her back away from the store room door. When customers started **

**coming in,both Jake and I had to keep an eye on her,since she was now bouncing between the store room and the front **

**door.After about the third time of pulling her away from the store room,she started crying. So, I picked her up and took her **

**into the room again. Turning on a small lantern light I set Adrianne down on the floor.**

**"There, now you can play hide and seek with Raphie."**

**She looked up at me for a minute before reaching for the shadows to my left and she started to crawl towards them.**

**"Please, keep an eye on her Raph."**

**I said in a low voice, letting out a sigh, and I heard him whisper.**

**"Don't worry, I will."**

**His voice was alluring and the feeling of his breath on the side of my neck indicated his closeness. Closing my eyes, I took a**

**deep breath and regained my composure.**

**"Thank you."**

**I said, before turning and walking back to the front. The shop was busier than usual today, since there was a tour group**

**going through the city. A few of Jakes new friends stopped by to say "HI" to him on their way to the park. I had met **

**pretty much everyone that Jake had gotten to know since we moved but, there was one guy there that I didn't recognize. **

**He seemed to have more of a snobbish disposition and the second I locked eyes with him,he was on my bad side. By the **

**time they left,Jake seemed more at ease with talking to him and the guy handed him, what looked like, a business card. I **

**watched him walk out the door with slanted eyes. Jake stuffed the card into his pocket and went back to checking the **

**shelves. It was nearly time to close up anyway,so,we locked the door, checked inventory one more time and I emptied the **

**register. Going to the back room, I found Adrianne still playing on the floor and Raph was set next to her,mostly wreathed **

**in shadow of course. Raphs shell cell went off as I knelt to pick her up and he quickly answered. I don't know what was said **

**but, suddenly Raph turned to me hurriedly.**

**"Get home as quick as ya can,and stay there."**

**He told me.**

**" Raph,what's..."**

**I tried to ask.**

**"Jus do it."**

**He ordered and I nodded, heading out of the back. Snatching our stuff, I headed for the door. **

**" Come on Jake,lets go."**

**I said, tugging on his shirt sleeve as I headed for the door.He followed suit, and when we were outside I locked the door and **

**we hurried down the sidewalk. As soon as we got home I closed and locked the door behind us. **

* * *

**What is gonna happen now I wonder?**

**R: "Argh, more waitin."**

**Me: "quit bein impatient Raphael!!!!!!"**


	8. Allies and Enemies

**blah blah blah, (insert corny disclaimer here)**

**anyways,hope you enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

**Setting Adrianne in her playpen, I went to my room and pulled my shell cell from my back pack. Just as I was about to call **

**Raph,it rang in my hand. Flipping it open,I expected to hear Raphs voice. Instead, a womans voice came over the line.**

**"Is this Brandie?"**

**She asked uncertainly.**

**"Yes, who's this?"**

**I returned.**

**"My name's April, I'm a friend of the guys. Raph gave me your cell number and asked me to stop by your place to make **

**sure everything was OK."**

**She explained.**

**"OK,do you have the address?"**

**I questioned.**

**"I think so, Raph was in kind of a rush telling me."**

**She started.**

**"But,I should be there in about five minutes if I have it right."**

**She told me.**

**"Ok, I'll see you when you get here April."**

**Than I shut the shell cell. Sure enough,five minutes went by and there was a knock on the apartment door. Looking **

**through the peep hole,seeing a woman. Opening the door slowly,I peaked out.**

**" April?"**

**I asked through the crack in the door.**

**" Good, I'm glad I got the Apartment number right."**

**She said,relieved,and I opened the door wider and invited her inside. After she stepped inside I relocked the door.I wasn't**

** taking any chances after the look I saw in Raphs eyes back at the shop. She shuffled out of her coat and I took it to the **

**closet at the other end of the room. Jake,who had automatically gone to his gadgets table,turned towards us questioningly.**

**" Who's she? "**

**He asked. April took a few more steps into the livingroom and answered.**

**"My name's April. I'm a friend of your sisters."**

**Jake sort of half nodded and turned back to his gadgets table. April didn't seem too surprised by his actions and I guided**

** her to my room so that we could talk privately. After we had both stepped inside,I closed the door and sat on my bed. She **

**looked around at all the little knick knacks I had laying around for a minute before sitting down herself.**

**" Do you know anything about why Raph was in such a hurry April?"**

**She took a deep breath before answering.**

**" I'm not sure exactly but,I think the shop is being targeted by the Foot."**

**She told me. **

**" Who are the Foot,and what would they want with some dusty old shop?"**

**I questioned.**

**" The foot are a group of ninja ruled by the guys worst enemy,The Shredder."**

**She began.**

**" They have been on the hunt for some magical sword and now they believe that it may be hidden in the shop where you work."**

**She explained. I thought about the shop for a moment.**

**"The shop only carries herbs, oils, and incense.I've never seen anything like that around before."**

**I told her.**

**"Although..."**

**I added before stopping to think. There had been something odd that I noticed about the storage room when I first began **

**working at the shop but, if it turned out to be the actual location of this mystical sword she mentioned,I'd rather not give **

**anyone a heads up without proof of whether I could trust them. Looking April straight in the eye,I made a demand.**

**" I need you to prove that I can trust you fully."**

**She seemed curious but, nodded and I continued. **

**"Bring Donatello to the shop tomorrow at nine o'clock sharp."**

**She nodded in agreement but, still looked a bit puzzled.**

**"Why Donny?"**

**She questioned.**

**"There is something there that I think he should see."**

**I said,getting up from my bed and opening my door. April stood up as well and we headed out of my room and back to the**

** livingroom. She seemed ready to head out anyway so,I grabbed her jacket from the closet and handed it to her. **

**"Remember, nine o'clock sharp."**

**I said.She nodded and started down the hall as I closed the door once more. Turning away from the door,I noticed my **

**brother on the house phone with someone. I didn't think to much of it until I noticed the business card in his hand. It was **

**the same card that the red haired guy handed him earlier and my disdain for him returned. I knew it wasn't my place to tell**

** my brother what to do but, when my gut tells me someone is up to no good,it's usually right. Walking back to my bedroom, **

**I closed my door,changed clothes,turned out my light, and got in bed. **


	9. Revealed

**R: "A'right,now we're gettin ta the good stuff here."**

**RB4E: "It's all been good Raph, sheesh."**

**

* * *

**

**A few minutes after I laid down,my shell cell started to ring. Picking it up,I answered and this time,it **_**was**_** Raphs voice I heard.**

**"Hey, you ok? did April come by?"**

**Were the first words out of his mouth and I was a bit taken by how concerned he seemed to be.**

**"Yeah,she came by and explained everything to me. Are **_**you**_** ok Raph?"**

**I said,just as concerned.**

**"Yeah,yeah, I'm fine."**

**He started.**

**"But,I got a favor ta ask ya."**

**"What is it?"**

**I inquired.**

**"Ya mind if I stay wit ya fer tonight?"**

**It was an odd request but, I didn't mind. **

**"I don't mind at all Raph,just be careful in the morning,my sister usually just barges in."**

**I told him.**

**"I'm a ninja,remember."**

**He said.**

**"Yeah,yeah, where are you?"**

**I asked, trying to figure out how far away he might have been.**

**"Right outside yer window."**

**He admitted just as I was climbing out of my bed again. Looking at my closed window,I sighed and shut the phone,then **

**walked over and opened it. Just as he had said,he was standing right there on the fire escape waiting. I watched as he **

**climbed inside and shut my window again. He surveyed my room for a minute, just as April had done and I addressed the **

**overnight issue.**

**"So, I guess Splinter wants you to watch over me more closely now huh?"**

**I questioned, as I watched him pick up my little snow globe and shake it slightly. **

**"yep"**

**Was all he said and his eyes were fixated on the swirling glitter inside the globe. Putting it back down he turned to me and I**

** could see a sort of sadness in his eyes. As if by instinct, I walked over ot him and wrapped my arms around him. He**

** returned the gesture but, seemed to hold me a little tighter. Instantly,I started to feel my body heat up and after a minute **

**or two more,I gently slid away from him. I lowered my head slightly towards the floor and glanced into his eyes once or **

**twice before taking a few steps towards my bed.I didn't make it the whole way there because,suddenly,I felt his arms **

**around my waist pulling me close to him again.**

**" I coulda said no to Splinters request."**

**He whispered to me, softly kissing the side of my neck. My heart began to race and I swallowed hard. **

**"What made you say yes?"**

**I asked,trying to maintain as much composure as I could,though,at this point it was probably useless.**

**" You did."**

**He replied, ever so seductively, and I turned to look into his eyes. As I looked at him,he got that smirk once again. Before I**

** could say anything else,there was a knock on my door and Raph let go of me in a hurry. Opening my door a bit,I saw Jake **

**standing there.**

**"I called and talked to mom and she said that I could stay the night at a friends tonight.I just wanted to let you know incase**

** Sy came back."**

**He explained and I nodded in agreement.**

**"Just be careful Jake."**

**I said before closing my door again. Leaning against the door, I took a deep breath and Raph stepped in front of me.**

**"Looks like you're all alone tonight."**

**He said,again coming temptingly close to me. **

**"Don't get any ideas Raph,we have more pressing issues to deal with right now."**

**I said,once again regaining my thoughts.**

**"Besides,you don't even know how I feel towards you."**

**I stated and a confident smirk crossed his lips.**

**" Yeah I do."**

**He said,crossing his arms.**

**"How?"**

**I inquired, copying him. Letting his arms fall, he slid one of them around me again,pulling our bodies close together. **

**Looking me straight in the eye he answered.**

**"I saw how ya reacted back at the shop, when I whispered to ya."**

**He admitted. My eyes stayed locked with his until he leaned in,pressing his lips to mine. We kissed for a long minute before**

** breaking apart and afterwards, I felt as though I had to catch my breath. Coming back to reality,I realized that tomorrow**

** was going to be a rather eventful day and both Raph and myself needed our rest. So, I slid away from him and went to my **

**bed. **

**" Could I?"**

**He asked, implying that we share the bed. **

**"I won't try nothin."**

**He reassured. Looking at him,I smirked and nodded. I moved over and rolled to one side, as he climbed in. As I drifted off**

** to sleep,I felt his arm go around me, pulling me close. **

* * *

R: "Now dat's what I'm talkin about."

RB4E: " You're impossible Raphael."

R: "Whateva"


	10. So,it comes to this

**R: "is it the good part yet?"**

**RB4E: "Read it and find out."**

* * *

**The next morning,I woke to the sound of my alarm clock being abruptly turned off. Turning over,I saw that Raphs arm was carelessly drapped over the top of my**

** nightstand. Sitting up slightly, I reached for the alarm clock. Just as I got close enough to grab it, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him,with my**

** head on his chest.**

**"Mornin Babe."**

**He said groggily,looking me in the eye.**

**"Morning"**

**I returned,nuzzling into his chest,and he kissed the top of my head.**

**"Id'nt today yur day off?"**

**He asked,running his fingers along my back. I had to admit,laying there with him made me want to forget everything that was going on but,I had made a promise**

** to April and I couldn't break it. Holding Raph a minute longer,I got up,gave him a quick kiss, and made my way off the bed.**

**"I promised April that I would meet her and Don at the shop this morning."**

**I explained,surveying the room for clothes to change into. Out of the corner of my eye,I could see Raph watching me, as I picked up my favorite pair of jeans and**

** pulled a random t-shirt from my closet. Balling them up in my arms, I went to my door and peeked out to see if anyone was around. Afterward,I stepped **

**out,glanced at Raph once,and went to the bathroom to clean up and change. When I was done I headed back to my room,where I found an empty bed and an open **

**window. A minute after I stepped back into the room,my shell cell went off. Grabbing it from my nightstand,I flipped it open.**

**" I'll meet ya at the shop Babe."**

**Came Raphs voice and a smile instantly crossed my lips.**

**"Ok,I'll see you there Raph."**

**I said,while throwing a few things into my backpack.**

**"Uhh,hey,"**

**He started.**

**" Thanks fur last night."**

**He said and the smile on my face grew wider.**

**"No problem."**

**I replied. After shutting the phone,I put it in my backpack and headed out.I arrived at the shop exactly at nine and found April there waiting for me. Pulling the **

**store keys out,I unlocked the door and we both stepped inside.**

**"Don in the back?"**

**I asked and she nodded as we both headed in that direction. We found Don waiting in the store room.**

**"Hey Donny"**

**I acknowledged.**

**"Hi,so,what is this thing April was telling me about?"**

**Walking towards one of the shelves, I pulled a few boxes down and set them on the floor. Lighting the small lantern nearby,I turned it up enough to light the shelf **

**that I had just cleared. Don moved closer to the shelf and peered through the space to the back wall.**

**"No way."**

**He said as he continued to stare.**

**"You see it?"**

**I asked, to confirm my suspicions. Turning to April,Don addressed the issue further.**

**"Its definately the same symbol that we saw when we first came accross the sword."**

**He started**

**"But,how do we find out if this is where it is being kept?"**

**At his question, a thought occured to me. Eyeing the room,I noticed the large metal pole in the corner.Walking past Don and April,I picked it up and stepped**

** back towards the shelf. Don and April backed away, staring at me, and I readied myself.**

_**'The owner's gonna kill me for this.'**_

**I thought, holding the pole somewhat like you would hold a spear. Bringing it back as far as I could,I rammed the pole into the wall with as much force as I could **

**muster. It broke through with little difficulty,and there was now a noticable hole where the symbol had been. Pulling it back out,I set it aside and walked **

**over,pulling the small wooden shelf off it's metal rungs. Setting the shelf on the floor I picked up the lantern again and shown the light at the wall. Don,coming **

**over,reached into the hole and pulled out a small cloth bag. Untying it,we found that it was pieces of a broken sword. As we stood there staring at it, someone **

**else decided to drop in.**

**"Hey, did I miss anythin?"**

**Asked Raph, coming through the back door. Don turned his attention to Raph and pulled him to one side. I watched them for a minute and saw Raphs expression**

** turn more serious. A minute later he pulled out his shell cell and hit a random button. Glancing in my direction, he gave a half smirk and I felt a little better about**

** everything. Don came back over to me and April and started to explain things.**

**" The other two are headed over here, so that we can keep a close eye on this."**

**He started, pointing at the broken sword.**

**" I'll have to do some more research to confirm a few things so I'll be in the van most of the time."**

**He finished.Nodding,I tied the cloth bag again and placed it back in the hole,replacing the shelf and it's contents.I noticed Raph look at the hole in the wall with a**

** bit of a confused expression.**

**"How'd dat happen?"**

**He asked.**

**"I did it."**

**I explained shyly. The others arrived in a matter of minutes and Don explained everything to them. I saw them nod, as Don walked out, to the van parked around**

** the corner. A long few hours went by, while Raph and Leo stood watch over the store room, and Mikey kept me company in the front. He kept my spirits up with**

** a few jokes and stuff like that, as I stayed busy by doing a bit of inventory. Every once in a while I would glance at Raph,who,in turn,glanced back at me and**

** smirked. Suddenly,a cold feeling hit the pit of my stomache and spread through my entire body. Something bad was coming and fast but, I was frozen in place**

** and the small candle I held, fell from my hand to the floor.By the time anything was said,it was too late, a smoke bomb crashed through the front window **

**followed by,what I could only guess,were foot ninja. They immediately engaged the guys and April in battle and I was left feeling defenseless. Before I knew it,I**

** was knocked to the floor by Raph,who protected me from several of the foot.**

**" Stay in the back!"**

**He ordered and I did as I was told. As I made my way to the very back of the room,I peaked through the crack in the door,only to witness an unconscious **

**Donatello, being carried out of the van by several elite ninja.**

**"Donny!!!"**

**I yelled and it seemed as though the fighting immediately stopped. The other three turned their attention to me,and as quickly as they had come,the foot ninja **

**dissappeared under the cover of another smoke bomb. Mikey,Leo,and Raph rushed out the back door to the van and threw it open,finding it empty. April stood, **

**staring from the door and I sank to the floor,wishing that I could have done something. Suddenly,something caught my attention in the front. A piece of paper **

**seemed to fall from off of the counter. Getting up, I walked to the front and picked it up,reading it to myself. I was again,grief-stricken at the words scribbled **

**upon it and at the same time,slightly confused, for the note read;**

_**" If you ever want to see your brothers alive again,bring the sword to the designated location at the designated time."**_

**There was an address and a date printed below.Something was telling me to call home,so,note in hand,I dug into my backpack and pulled out my shell cell. **

**Dialing my home number,I waited for someone to pick up. My mother was the one to answer and her tone told me everything.**

_**" Brandie? I've been worried about you,have you seen your brother today?"**_

**She asked,sounding more worried by the second.**

**"No, I haven't, what's wrong?"**

**I asked,the feeling in the pit of my stomache returning.**

_**" He hasn't come home yet and he is usually here by now."**_

**She answered. Glancing at the note in my hand,it was now clear as to why it had been written the way it was. Not wanting my mom to panic,I did my best to calm**

** her down.**

**"Don't worry mom,I'll find him."**

**I reassured in the calmest voice possible. She took a deep breath and we said or goodbyes before I shut the phone once again. Things were getting to be a little **

**too much and I hit my knees, as tears began to well in my eyes. The others came to the front, saw me crying,and noticed the note in my hand. Mikey was the one **

**to inquire about it and I stood, handing it to them. After reading it,Leo looked to me for an explaination concerning the wording of it. With my head halfway **

**hung,I told them about my brother.**

**"They've got Jake too."**

**I said,a few tears still finding their way down my face. There was one thing the foot was soon going to find out about me. Fucking with my family is a one way **

**ticket to the death house.**


	11. Together as One

**Glancing over to Raph, I noticed that one of his hands were sliding over the handle of one of his Sais but, he quickly moved it when he saw me watching and we **

**locked eyes for a quick second. Just like me, he hated feeling helpless and nothing pissed him off more than when his family was threatened. The anger welled **

**inside me and before anything else was said,I bolted out the front door and down the street. I heard Raphs voice after me as I got further from the shop.**

**"Brandie!!!"**

**He yelled and I slowed to a stop,standing with my back to him. Coming up beside me,he laid his hand on my shoulder.**

**"What the shell you think yer doin?"**

**He asked,letting his hand slide down. When I didn't respond,he stepped in front of me and lifted my head to look into my eyes.**

**" What are ya doin?"**

**He asked again. Averting my gaze from him, I answered.**

**"I'm going to find our brothers."**

**I said angrily,still not looking at him.He let out an exasperated sigh and crossed his arms.**

**"Not alone ya ain't"**

**He said definatively and I glanced at him. Stepping to the side,I tried to move past him but, he took ahold of my arm. A minute later I felt his arms go around me**

** and he held me from behind.**

**"Ya can't do it all alone Babe."**

**He whispered to me.**

**"We gotta stay together fer this."**

**He said.It was kind of ironic listening to him give a "stick together" sort of speech but,I knew he was right,even if I didn't want to admit it.He kept his arms **

**around me as I turned to face him and after a few seconds, he leaned down and kissed me. As we continued to kiss,a sense of reassurance washed over me, **

**though,it was short lived when we were caught by Michelangelo.**

**" Ick!! I walked into a makeout fest."**

**He complained,cringing at the sight of his brother and I. At that moment Raphs eyes slanted in anger and he glared at his younger brother. Luckily Leo and **

**April had stepped out of the shop behind him,otherwise,he might have gotten more than an angry expression. Noticing Leo,Raph let his arms fall and stood in **

**front of me, facing his brother. April stood beside Leo,the ransom note in her hand, as Leo addressed us all.**

**"We've got to find out where Don and Jake were taken."**

**He stated and Raph spoke up.**

**"How ya s'pose we do dat?"**

**He questioned. April was the one to provide an answer.**

**"We could track his shell cell. Donny told me that he put transmitters into each one."**

**Stepping up beside Raph, I threw out the question that noone seemed to be acknowledging.**

**" So, what do we do after we find them? We don't have a plan yet."**

**I said. Raph spoke up once more.**

**"She's right Leo."**

**He agreed, and looking at Mikey,I saw that he felt the same way. **

**" I know,"**

**Leo started.**

**" Lets find them first and **_**then**_** we can devise a way to get them back."**

**Everyone nodded in agreement and we walked around the back to the van so that we could start our search.As we piled in, something next to the van caught my **

**eye and I picked it up before climbing in.April was asked to drive since the sun had started to rise and I could only figure that we were headed for the lair. As we**

** rode along,I looked at what I had found. It looked like a business card.Turning it over,I found that's exactly what it was and as I stared at the logo,my blood ran**

** cold. It matched the card that I had seen Jake with the day before. Leo,who sat accross from me, noticed my reaction.**

**"What's that?"**

**He asked,pointing to the card. Handing it to him,I began to explain.**

**"Jake had one just like it the last time I saw him."**

**As I watched Leo,his expression changed to a glare of anger.Not saying a word,Leo stuffed the card under his belt and a few minutes later we arrived at the lair.**

** Wordlessly, we climbed from the van and entered. As we stepped inside,I saw Leo walk up to Sensei Splinter. Bowing his head,he pulled the card from his belt **

**and showed it to him. Sensei Splinter nodded his head in acknowledgement and Leo walked back over to us.Pulling me aside, he explained what the logo on the **

**card stood for and told me about a man named Baxter Stockman,who was bent on destroying them at any cost. Now that I had a better understanding of how **

**everything fit together, it was time to devise a search and rescue plan. **


	12. Lines

**Well,here it is,the long awaited chapter twelve I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

**With a better understanding of where Don and Jake were,we laid everything into place. April would do recon and disabling of the security alarms,**

** while,Mikey,Raph,Leo, and me were the infiltration team. After confirming all the details, we took off on shell cycles towards Stockmans main lab. Parking**

** them in shadowed corners,our plan was underway. Mikey and Leo went to one side of the building and Raph and I went to another. Over our headsets we heard **

**Leos voice.**

**" When everything is set April,give us the all clear and we'll head in."**

**He said to her. A few short minutes past by and we watched as the entire building went black. A few seconds after that we heard April come over our headsets.**

**"There may be emergency backup lights in the rooms but, the security alarms are all completely down and everyone seems to be leaving."**

**Than we heard Leo again.**

**"Raph,Brandie,you two take the lower levels,Mike and I will head higher."**

**Almost in unison Raph and I responded.**

**"Got it!!"**

**Raph and I started in through one of the lower windows.As we had anticipated,the emergency backup light in the room came on.Ducking under the first thing we**

** could find, Raph and I ended up nose to nose beneath a large work desk.I felt myself start to heat up as our eyes locked with each others. Throwing a ninja **

**star,he knocked out the light and we made our way out of the room into the hallway connecting it. Continuing along,all we could see were doors.**

**"We should split up and check 'em all."**

**He said,turning from a door he had stepped in front of. I nodded in agreement but,as he went to open the door,I took ahold of his wrist. As he turned to look at **

**me,I pulled him into a kiss. When we broke apart he smirked at me.**

**"Be careful"**

**Was all he said before entering his first room. Entering the room in front of me,I was glad to see the emptiness of it.I ended up going through about two more **

**rooms like it before making a huge discovery. The room I stood in harbored a large glass window and through it,I could see downward into what looked like a **

**holding station,lined with monitors and computers.Hunched over one of them, I saw Donny and he didn't look well at all. I could hardly tell whether he was even **

**breathing and he appeared to be wearing some sort of a collar.I couldn't see anyone else in the room with him and radioed to the others.**

**"I found Donny.He doesn't look good."**

**I said and Leos voice came over.**

**"Where are you?"**

**"Lowest level,farthest end."**

**I replied.**

**"We'll meet you there."**

**He said and than I heard Raph speak but,his voice wasn't over the headset.**

**" Sure it's Don?"**

**Turning around,I saw him standing behind me and I nodded in response to his question.**

**"Yeah,it him alright,look."**

**I replied,turning back to the window.Raph stepped up next to me and looked through the glass. As he stared down at Donny,I saw a scowl cross his face and I **

**couldn't keep from feeling as though it was all my fault. It was true that the guys had dealt with the Foot and Baxter Stockman before but,I couldn't help feeling**

** that my meeting them had done more harm than good. A few minutes later, Mike and Leo came into the room and I showed them what I had found. Busting **

**through the glass window,we slid down into the room. Running over to Don,we saw that he looked as though he were starving and had burn marks on him. He **

**was still conscious but, looked as though sleep had been denied him as well.**

**" My god,Donny what happened to you?"**

**I asked,taking his face in my hands to look at his eyes. In a barely audible voice he answered.**

**"It's the collar, it sends electric energy through me if Stockman doesn't think I'm working enough."**

**"so it's pretty much a shock collar."**

**Raph determined. Doing his best to sit up straight,Don addressed him.**

**"There's a bit more to it than that."**

**He started.**

**"There is a spike embedded into a main nerve and it's where the main shock circuit sits."**

**"So how do we do that?"**

**I asked, still looking him over.**

**"the collar has to be released,"**

**He started weakly.**

**"Otherwise, it triggers a more powerful shock. The release switch is over there."**

**He said,pointing to a small enclosed button.Before another thing was said,Raph went over to the case and smashed it,hitting the button at the same time. The **

**collar split apart from the front and I pulled it away from Dons neck gently,noticing the small spike that he had described. There was a loud,short noise that was**

** heard and suddenly a door at the other end of the room opened. From it emerged a figure with mechanical limbs. The other three readied themselves as the **

**figure approached us.My heart stopped as I realized who the figure was.**

**"JAKE!!"**

**I screamed,staring at the abomination my brother had been turned into. He didn't respond and only continued to come nearer,initiating an attack. As the guys **

**tried to fight him off,I kept close to Don and started trying to get him out of the way. Jake seemed to have gained ungodly strength and was almost knocking the **

**guys to the ground as if they were toys on a shelf. With as much strength as I could muster,I got Don to his feet and pulled him further away,setting him down by**

** the door. Turning back to survey the situation,I could see that the guys were doing their best at trying not to hurt Jake while trying to protect themselves. It was**

** time for me to make a hard decision.**

**"Guys!!! Let's Go,We can come back for him later!!!!"**

**I shouted,pulling Don out the door as the other three came up behind me. Raph took ahold of Dons other side and we hustled out of the facility to the shell cycles**

** and Don slung himself over one as we took off.**


	13. Descisions

**Here it is,the long, long, long awaited thirteenth chapter.**

**

* * *

**

**Arriving back at the lair,Don was taken immediately to his med lab and instructed the others on what to do to get him settled so that he could recover. After he**

** was settled,everyone left him to rest and we converged in the other room. Raph sat next to me on the couch with his arm behind my shoulder, as Leo and **

**Mikey sat on the other side of the room with April. Turning to me, Leo addressed the "Jake" issue.**

**" Brandie,it's clear that Stockman has control over your brother right now but, with Don in the state he's in we may have to wait to get him back."**

**Looking Leo straight in the eye,I nodded.**

**"Leo,we may not be able to get him back."**

**I admitted.If there was one thing I knew about my brother, it was that he had a thing for power and being cybernetic was defintely a powerful feeling.**

**"We'll get him back,don't worry."**

**Said Mikey,trying to sound reassuring. All I did was nod and there was a short silence before April spoke.**

**"Hey, You guys hungry? I'll go get pizza?"**

**Mikey and I nodded and got up to go with her. As we walked out the door,I remembered that my shell cell was still inside and turned back to get it. As I came**

** up to the door I heard Leo's voice and it didn't sound happy.**

**"What is going on here Raph?"**

**" Whadya mean?"**

**Raph returned and I peered through the slit in the door to see the two of them standing there.**

**" With you and Brandie. You know how Splinter feels about that kind of thing."**

**" Yeah,I know but,whadya want me ta say Leo? I fell fer the girl."**

**There was a short silence before Leo spoke again.**

**"I'm not gonna tell you what to do Raph but,if you really feel that way,than you should talk to Splinter."**

**At that I saw Leo walk away and Raph stood there with his head hung. I opened the door enough to squeeze through. As I came in, Raph turned to look at me**

** and a little smile crossed his lips.**

**" How mucha dat did ya hear?"**

**He asked a bit nervously and I couldn't help smiling a bit.**

**"Enough"**

**I answered, as I walked to the table where my shell cell was sitting. Picking it up,I noticed that Raph was watching me. Glancing at him, I started to walk back**

** to the door but,he took ahold of my wrist and pulled me back,wrapping his arms around me from behind. Holding me close he whispered in my ear.**

**"We'll get ya brother back,I promise."**

**Closing my eyes,I sank into his embrace. Carefully,I turned to face Raph,looking into his eyes.After a bit of silence he started to speak.**

**" Brandie, I'm prolly movin a little fast but..."**

**Before he had a chance to say anymore,I put my hand to his lips.**

**" You should talk to Splinter."**

**I said with a smile. He smirked and gave me a quick kiss before letting go and turning to leave the room. Turning back towards the door, I left and caught up**

** with April and Mikey in the van. After getting the pizzas we brought them back and had dinner together. Naturally Raph sat close to me and after we were**

** finished he whispered in my ear.**

**" I got somethin I wanna talk to ya about."**

**When everyone else had gotten up from the table,Raph took ahold of my hand and looked me in the eye.**

**"I had a serious talk wit Master Splinter before ya got back."**

**Nodding in response,I waited for him to continue.**

**" I told him about everythin that's goin on and, bout the way I feel."**

**He took a deep breath before finishing.**

**" He said,if ya want,it may be a good idea fer ya to stay here wit us."**

**Placing my hand over his,I looked dead into his eyes.**

**"I appreciate what you've done Raphael. Just give me some time to consider everything, OK?"**

**I replied.Honestly, the thought had crossed my mind before but,I didn't want to be intrusive and there were other things I still had to consider before finalizing**

** any decisions.**

**" I understand."**

**Raph said after a short silence. After that,we both went to the livingroom to join everyone else. A little while later,April headed home and the rest of us retired**

** to bed which,I slept on the couch and Raph slept on the floor in front of me to be on the safe side.**


	14. Dreams and realities

**Throughout the night,I dreamt of various things; being back with my family,seeing Jake as a mechanical mess,and what I could piece together as a subconscious hope that Splinter would let Raph and I be together. What brought me out of sleep was the memory of the fact that Jake really **_**had**_** become a mechanical mess, and again,I felt a wave of guilt fall over me. Sitting up on the couch,I propped my arms on my knees and held my head in my hands,letting out a half exhausted,half exasperated sigh. **

**" Ya ok?"**

**Letting my hands drop from in front of me,I saw Raph looking up at me. As Raph sat up, the blanket covering him fell around his knees and it made him look strangely alluring. I just nodded in response to him and than he stood up.**

**" Come wit me."**

**He said,taking my hand and bringing me up off the couch,leading me back towards a seperate room. Once inside he closed the door and turned on the light. I winced as the light hit my eyes and Raph wrapped his arms around me. When my eyes adjusted,I lifted them to meet his and before I could blink, we were enthrauled in a deep passionate kiss. He held me close to him as we kissed and it sent pleasant chills through my body. I opened my eyes as our lips seperated, and they were again met with his. **

**" Ya can sleep here fer the night."**

**He said,letting his arms fall from around me, as he pulled a heavy blanket from one of the corners and handed it to me. Giving me another short kiss,he left the room, closing the door behind him,as I settled myself into the bed and turned out the light again. I still couldn't completely shake the guilt but, at least I slept a little better the rest of the night. Early the next morning, I woke to the sound of soft footsteps shuffling across the floor. Sitting up,I tossed the blanket aside and shifted my legs so that my feet touched the floor. Softly,I tip toed to the door and cracked it open. All I could really see was a short shadow scuffling across the hall so,I followed it as quietly as possible. As I followed it,I realized that I was heading into the kitchen and, as I crossed the doorway,the light came on. **

**"Oh,sensei,I didn't realize it was you."**

**I apologized,letting my eyes readjust to the said nothing,only took hold of his tea cup and motioned for me to join him. Once I was seated he spoke.**

**" Has my son spoken to you this evening?'**

**He asked plainly.**

**"Raphael? yes, he has"**

**I replied,pausing for a moment.**

**"He told me how you feel concerning the situation."**

**"And have you come to a decision ?"**

**He returned. For a few seconds I sat there in silence before answering.**

**"Sensei,I appreciate your offer.I cannot consider it lightly given the events which have transpired recently, and would like enough time to do so. I do have strong feelings for Raphael but, there is far more than that to think about at the moment."**

**There was silence for a long wile as I watched Master Splinter sip his tea.**

**"I believe that we are in agreement."**

**He responded finally and I nodded in appreciation of his feeling rather overwhelmed, I decided to excuse myself and left the kitchen,only to bump into someone else on my way out.**

**"Oh, Mikey!! I thought you were still asleep."**

**I sputtered after regaining my balance.**

**"Couldn't sleep"**

**He answered with a sheepish grin.I smirked and started heading back when he spoke again.**

**"You know,"**

**He started,and I stopped to look at him.**

**"If you ever wanna hang out or talk,I'm here."**

**"Thanks"**

**I returned,flashing him a quick smile before turning again.I was very touched by Mikeys words and it helped easy my mind when I got back into wasn't long before I fell back to sleep and stayed that way the remainder of the was light the next time I opened my eyes and I felt well enough to face another day. So,I made my way back out to the living room where,apparently,everyone was waiting for me.I felt a bit like I was being put on the witness stand by the way everyone stared at me. **

**"OK guys, whats on the agenda?"**

**I asked,sitting down in the only seat available.**

* * *

Well, I know you've been waiting a long time and I'm sorry it took so long but,finally something else for your eyes to feed on. And it's still not finished....


End file.
